"This is not an act of censorship; this is an act of sensitivity."

Orwellian.

There is nothing that can be said that won't offend somebody. Look what happened George H.W. Bush announced to the world that he hates broccoli.

Part of free speech is the right to be offended or offensive if you want to be. When the authority doesn't understand that -- they have no clue.

I think this demonstrates what happens when insecure middle managers (like the police chief here) loose face. They dig deeper with all the power at their resources. Lukianoff's point about how this case is different from the others solely because Miller has an army of instant champions and fellow Browncoats is well taken. For every Miller, there are a goodly number of others who need the same crowd sourcing of support. (Unfortunately in the new HR lingo, that can be seen as "retaliation" which is the new "harassment." I am wondering if Miller will try that route next.)

oops... "I am wondering if Chief Walter will try that route next." (my bad.)

I happen to think that the attempt at censorship is consistent with respect to Firefly, at least.

1) The show had a leader of unquestionable character and dignity - who actually fought and killed ruling authority figures and their minions and now worked outside the established law. Start driving nails: this is a HUGE contrast to people in American public life. There are a BUNCH of people who wished ANYONE they knew stuck to their principles like Mal Reynolds, much less an American authority figure.

2) The show had the ridiculously hot Companion, Inara, who not only was a licensed prostitute, she was nuts about Mal for a bunch of different and conflicting reasons. A person, not a thing. Nail in the coffin? She had a female client in one episode. OMG!! We can't allow THAT!!

3) A central feature of the show is that individuals do not, after all, need government to tell them what to do - and it even showed the clear benefits of such government for the people who chose to live under that system. Nail in the coffin: it showed the clear enmity that same government had for people who do NOT want to be part of that system. Hey, cue the American police chief!

4) It showed that the world is violent, and that you do not get a "do over!" most of the time.

Obviously, it had to go, and so do any of the ideas it espoused.

Threat? Only to the authorities near that college - who now know, in their hearts, that they have an office but less humanity, dignity and honor than the least of Serenity's band of thieves. If they've been paying attention.

I'm not surprised at the Professor's choice of quotes, nor his involvement with the series as a fan. The show is packed with moral/ethical lessons as well as wonderful performances, with even tiny details used to illustrate the thoughts and emotions of Serenity's crew.

That might have been the final straw for the show. It's not a bleating, blaring "reality" show, and it had no laugh track, and while it wouldn't leave you clueless if you looked away (like Twin Peaks or Lost), it rewards those who pay attention.

Very consistent with the world of "Firefly" indeed, Radwaste. But I have serious doubts that the censors involved had the faintest idea about "Firefly", let alone your four points above. They just read the poster by the professor's door and went ballistic.

And that one...

"This is not an act of censorship; this is an act of sensitivity."

...should definitely be in a future episode of Firefly, if they ever bring it back. Maybe spoken by the teacher who does the opening monologue in the movie and ends up being River Tam's horrible nightmare in the lab?

I have the series and the movie on DVD. I think this would be a good weekend to watch it again.

"This was not an act of censorship; this was an act of sensitivity."

I think that comes embossed on the blue gloves.

I think Lukianoff's mention of a college campus as a place for students to be wrong is a brilliantly concise summation of the free speech debate. Those pushing censorship on campuses also seem to be of the same mind as those who want to enforce "For God's sake, you can't let a child's feelings get hurt!" rules at elementary schools.

As if the world needed another reason to adore Neil Gaiman.

I think that comes embossed on the blue gloves.

This is a great one, NumberSix! I wish I had come up with that!

As if the world needed another reason to adore Neil Gaiman.

I have another one, apart from "Sandman" being one of the greatest comic books ever: A couple of years ago, Neil Gaiman attended the Frankfurt book fair and was asked by a journalist, where he got all his ideas. Gaiman answered that every Friday, a dwarf knocked on his door and brought him a basket with rolled slips of paper full of ideas. Gaiman remarked in a later interview that "the most unbelievable part of the story is that, for a couple of moments, the guy really believed this."

I attend the Frankfurt book fair almost every year, and I was there in the year that story happened. Unfortunately I was not there on the same day when Neil Gaiman gave that interview. I would have loved to see this live...

Neil Gaiman has also promoted a few indie-label bands, some of whom have wonderful skills. See Where's Neil When You Need Him?, for an example. Amy, adjust the link if you like, to go through your Mall!

NOTE FROM AMY: Adjusted, thanks!

He also wrote maybe the best episode of Doctor Who since it came back, from which I learned the word petrichor.

Which episode was that?

Neil Gaiman wrote
The Rain Gods
Nightmare in Silver
The Doctor's Wife
in the Doctor Who franchise.